title: Exposure to mercury vapor during setting, removing, and polishing amalgam restorations.
abstract: The level of mercury vapors in the oral cavity was determined by analyzing 242 samples of intra-oral air before and after removing, setting, and polishing dental amalgam. The analysis was effected using atomic absorption spectrometry in cold vapors with the detection limit of 6 micrograms/m3. A score of 1 to 3 was assigned to each restoration to adjust the differences of the amalgam sizes. The present study showed that the vapor was released during any procedure: removing, setting, and polishing amalgam. The mean levels were between 85 and 326 micrograms/m3. However, before the restorative procedures, no mercury vapors had been detected in the oral cavity. This investigation has also demonstrated a significant direct correlation between Hg vapor concentrations in intra-oral air and the sizes of amalgam restorations during each procedure: removing, setting, and polishing. The statistic analysis showed no significant difference of mercury vapors in the oral cavity between the use or nonuse of water coolant during the amalgam polishing.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U157, Université Louis Pasteur, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Haikel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gasser
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salek
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Voegel
mesh_terms: D000388:Air / Q000032:analysis; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003775:Dental Polishing / Q000009:adverse effects; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008628:Mercury / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003723:Dental Amalgam; D008628:Mercury